Connecticut's new governor, Dannel Malloy, gets no honeymoon as voters disapprove 40 - 35
percent of the job he is doing, with 25 percent undecided, according to a Quinnipiac University
poll released today.

Voters are optimistic, 55 - 39 percent, about the next four years under Gov. Malloy, the
independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. And they say 89 - 7 percent
that Malloy's town hall meetings to discuss the budget and the economy are a good idea.

But they disapprove 51 - 32 percent of the way he is handling the budget and turn thumbs
down on his budget plan:

"Connecticut voters are in a grumpy mood. Nearly 70 percent are dissatisfied with the
way things are going in the state and no elected official in this survey has an approval rating
above 50 percent," said Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz, PhD.

"But it's early. Dannel Malloy has been governor for only two months. The first
impression of him is decidedly mixed with many voters taking a wait and see attitude."

"What explains Malloy's low approval rating? Only 32 percent approve of his handling
of the budget, while 51 percent disapprove," Dr. Schwartz added. "Specifically, they think he is
raising taxes too much. While voters think he is raising taxes too much on the middle class, they
think he could raise taxes on the wealthy more.

"Most damaging is that by a big margin, voters say Malloy is unfair to them."

By a narrow 50 - 46 percent margin, voters say a tax hike is necessary to balance the
budget. But voters say 54 - 18 percent that a tax hike will hurt the state economy and 69 percent
say a tax hike would be a "very serious" or "somewhat serious" problem for their families.

If public employee unions do not make concessions, Malloy should layoff state workers,
voters say 50 - 44 percent. Voters in union households disagree 58 - 37 percent. Voters also
support 68 - 27 percent a wage freeze for state workers and support 53 - 35 percent furloughs
for state workers.

74 - 20 percent against eliminating the $500 property tax credit on the state income tax;

82 - 17 percent against increasing the gas tax 3 cents per gallon.
"Voters overwhelmingly disapprove of Malloy's proposed increases in the income tax and
gas tax. They oppose eliminating the property tax credit and ending the sales tax exemption for
clothes under $50," Schwartz said. "They do agree, however, with proposed increases in 'sin
taxes' on alcohol and cigarettes, and with wage freezes and furloughs for state employees and -
if necessary - layoffs."

Voters disapprove 45 - 38 percent of the job U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman is doing. In his
first approval rating as a U.S. Senator, Richard Blumenthal scores a 49 - 25 percent approval.

From March 1 - 7, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,693 registered voters with a margin
of error of +/- 2.4 percentage points. Live interviewers call landlines and cell phones.

The Quinnipiac University Poll conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey,
Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and the nation as a public service and for research.
For more data or RSS feed- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201,
or follow us on Twitter.

1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Dannel Malloy is handling his job as
Governor?

9. Governor Malloy is holding a series of town hall style meetings across the
state to discuss the state's economic and budgetary issues with the state's
residents face to face - How much have you heard or read about these town hall
style meetings? A lot, some, not much, or nothing at all?